Poor working conditions of service of nurses and midwives has been identified as a key factor driving the increasing rate of attrition among these professionals in search of greener pastures outside the country.
Mr Douglas Addai, the Chairman of the Obuasi East Chapter of the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), said the nation had failed to recognise the efforts and contributions of nurses, hence the high attrition rate in recent times.
Speaking at the second annual week celebration of the Obuasi East branch of the GRNMA, Mr Addai said: “It is regrettable that Ghana is losing experience and hardworking nurses to foreign lands.”
“…But this did not happen by accident but through years of shortchanging nurses and lack of respect and recognition for their efforts.”
He said some preferred to stay in the country and work, but the government must put in more efforts to provide a congenial environment with the right incentives to convince them to stay.
As part of the week celebration, some nurses and midwives were awarded for their hard work with Ms Abigail Ntuwala Logi of the AGA Health Foundation being adjudged the Best Worker for the Year 2023.
Ms Logi, who recently won the Ashanti Regional Best Worker and will be representing the regional GRNMA in the national contest, took home a tabletop refrigerator.
Dr Patrick Boakye Yiadom, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Obuasi East, noted that the Government had put in efforts to retain nurses in the country.
Government recognised the invaluable contributions of nurses and midwives, hence, the approval of new conditions of service for them, he said, and entreated them to recognise the investment made in them by the state to continue to serve the country.
He said projects like the Agenda 111 would serve as an avenue for the recruitment of more nurses and other health professionals to improve access to healthcare across the country.
“Government has over the years supported health personnel in the country.
It has rolled out a plethora of programmes and interventions all to encourage and motivate nurses to stay and work, so we are leaving nothing to chance,” he said.
Dr Enyonam Kwawukume, the Obuasi East District Director of Health Services, commended nurses and midwives in the district for the hard work, emphasising that their resolve to support healthcare delivery was demonstrated during the outbreak of Covid-19.
She said though some health personnel had left the shores of Ghana to seek greener pastures, the Health Directorate had put in measures to contain the situation and maintain good nurse-patient ratio.
GNA
